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Our Work | The World Awaits

From Rachel-Ruth

One critical aspect of passing the Baton of Truth to the next generation is to give our children firsthand experiences of the impact truth makes in the lives of those in another culture or those who are less fortunate. 

My parents intentionally directed our attention beyond ourselves to nurture in us a compassion that mirrors God’s love for people. While I was in high school, I began to feel a stirring in my heart for Africa. The burden really grew when I traveled with my mom on one of her speaking trips to South Africa. Witnessing the devastating poverty in some areas of the country, seeing the vast and beautifully rugged land, and getting to know the people left an indelible mark on my heart. 

Then, my sophomore year in college, my uncle Franklin asked whether I would like to go to Rwanda for the summer, along with his son Will and another cousin, Noelle, to help out in the orphanages run by Samaritan’s Purse. 

Noelle and I spent day after day holding and hugging babies and toddlers that God had created and protected through the awful days of the recent genocide. When I headed home to America, my perspective on what matters had shifted. My worldview had expanded infinitely, putting a spotlight on the blessings I had previously taken for granted as well as making me keenly aware of the greed and self-centeredness in my life.

Sending kids on mission trips, telling them missionary stories, or taking them to serve at a local soup kitchen or hospital will open their eyes to a world bigger than themselves, a world that needs Jesus. 

Who knows? When our children are grown, we may discover that what seemed to be a small effort to open their eyes and hearts to a needy world had a long-lasting impact. They may look back and say that the highlight of their upbringing was not the beach vacation, the trip to Disney World, or the new cell phone. I wonder whether they will say that the highlight was the times we responded to the needs of others together. 

Pray that God would give you a heart of compassion and open your eyes to the needs He wants you and your family to meet.